Dearly Beloved
by A Tired Writer
Summary: AU! Her feelings swirl in endless turmoil, drowning her in an endless abyss. As he waits for the clock to strike midnight once again, he remembers them. [Anger. Hurt. A grin. The gleam of a silver gun. Everything goes white followed by the sound of shattering glass.] Hiatus
1. Chapter 1

A note: personae that are described in the fic are _the ones given in the game __**not the actual representations**_, the things that go on here should be taken with a grain of salt. Also the threesome is not healthy in either way shape or form, there would be no warning if it were apart from *heads-up threesome* and that'd be it but it's not.

* * *

0.

_Hands gently caress his face as he slumbers, a kiss is placed on his brow and he looks up and sees her. She gives him a kind, beautiful smile "Rest easy, young one. Rest easy."_

::

I.

It's been easy to adapt to _this_ life. Too easy. _Lies slip from his tongue, smooth and rich like wine._

His first kill isn't so easy, the eyes haunt him at night but as they say 'the first kill is always the hardest'._ Sleepless nights, so many sleepless nights. _

Every face, every expression, the tone of voice, right down to the stray hairs; his kills haunt him. _They stare at him as he tries sleeping, ignoring them only makes them stare harder. 'Wishing won't make them go away.'_

Then he meets _them_ and everything goes to hell in a hand basket but he's used to such things. _Nothing really unnerves him anymore but he's always been a good actor._

All he needs to do was survive._ Survive, survive, survive; he can't remember what it's like to do anything but survive._

::

There are times when the night is too long and he waits for it all to happen again, to be ripped away from this lucid dream._ But he knows it's not a dream, it's never been a dream._

Then there are nights when he lays awake staring at the clock in apprehension as it slowly turns to midnight. _To start all over again, to defend everyone. To fight._

He waits for the feeling of time to stop, to melt away; the electronics to die, and everything to turn green as blood lines the walls and carpet. _But it never happens, it hasn't happened in years. Not this time._

He stares at the moon that sits innocuously in the night sky, a crowning gem amongst the stars. _Mocking him. Mocking, always mocking. She isn't there and he isn't coming back. There is no beautiful monstrosity pretending to be a beacon._

Nothing happens, nothing has happened, but even after so many years he sits and waits. _Sometimes he thinks he's going crazy. Nothing happens. Nothing like the old days. Just plain old boring mafia. Sometimes he thinks of trying to find ways to kill himself but he knows, he knows that he can't. He's already tried too many of them. _

Finally when the clock reads 12:01 a.m. he remembers them, the smiles, the laughter… their awkwardness, right before everything went bad. _Because memories are all he has. Here is nothing like there. All he can do is stare at the ceiling and remember._

Right before everything he knew was ripped away. _Like butterfly wings. He ripped off the butterfly's wings and laughed. Waited at the gates and swung his sword._

_"And for what?" his kills mock "For _**_nothing_**_!"_

::

II.

The ocean is beautiful when one isn't hiding away. _It doesn't look like blood, there is no blood. Only in his body-their bodies. A drop of blood can't do away with the blue of the ocean._

The white sand and dark rocks, the brilliant blue-green waves. The sounds of water lapping against the shore. _So different from before. Nothing moved. Nothing happened. Just the same. The waves sounded wrong and the sand was too thick like mud._

He leans against his bike, sipping at a beer watching as one of Oodako's tentacles rises up into the air, letting his owner know that he was fine. _His only friend, the only one who knew who he was. He almost named him K-_

He chugs his beer down and promptly chokes seeing a blue butterfly fluttering about, "Phi-" _Take me back! Take me back! I don't want normal!_

His cell rings startling him and he looks down at it before snapping his head to look at the blue butterfly only to find that it's gone. "You're imagining things, Skull. Imagining."_ All the years of being in the mafia are getting to him. He's stuck here. Stuck here forever, until time runs out and the world dies. Immortality at the cost of everything. Immortality he never wanted._

He looks down at the id and frowns "What's wrong, Yuni?" _So sweet and wonderful not like her or like them, her own special person. Stop trying to find them in people, _**_Skull_**_._

"-ii-sa…. –el…" His frown deepens and he shakes his head. _Static. Static. Just like so long ago. When she couldn't and when they found her. Or maybe he just doesn't want to hear what she has to say. Maybe all he wants to do is-_

"I'll be at the manor as soon as I can, do you want me to call?" _Don't have a home, not anymore. Never had a home. Not in either._

Receiving an affirmative answer, he bids Yuni a goodbye and ends the call. He releases a loud whistle and in a large groan Oodako resurfaces. "Sorry, bud. Yuni's calling us back." Oodako releases a clicking noise and his tentacles brush his master's wrist. Oodako shrinks and he places him in a special compartment. "Hold on." _Because Oodako is his only friend. Without Oodako he would be-_

He speeds off, the clouds and setting sun following him. _No need to worry, nothing bad happens. Even if it does, I'll rise again. _But for now he'll enjoy the small sense of peace the ocean gives him.

::

While the Arcobaleno love Yuni in their own way, the same cannot be said for each other (barring Lal and Colonello). _They can't be in the same country for too long, he knows that feeling. The planet felt too small when he was around _**_her_**_._

"I'm sorry, but I can't see it clearly. Someone's being attacked… ripped apart and I can't see." Yuni's voice is thick, her distress rubbing them the wrong way, even Byakuran looks perturbed. Because these visions are supposed to be fading but he knows all about 'supposed to's.

So they stay.

::

Yuni has seen it before, her vision. Of someone being attacked… of being ripped apart but it always changes. One moment she sees someone being ripped apart and then the next she sees chains and pitch black hands reaching for it, then the _masks_.

_So many masks _that they all frighten her.

Or it will change halfway through.

But all she sees is blue mist and blue stained glass shattering before she hears a blood curdling roar, everything then goes by in quick flashes.

_Yellow fabric._ Blue hair. Scarred hands. _A large tower._

Reborn's furious expression. A body flying back. _A body lying on the floor._ Shock. Horror.

Anger. Hurt. A grin. _The gleam of a silver gun._ Everything goes white followed by the sound of shattering glass.

::

Skull stares up at the night sky waiting for midnight to strike "So this is where you've been." He tenses and turns to Byakuran who gives him a vicious grin. _You've faced the Reaper. You've faced Nyx. You've beaten avatars of power. He can't harm you. He's not a threat._

_The faces of his victims cackle at him "Why so scared?"_

"Yuni's looking for you." It's a lie, he knows this but he walks away leaving the albino alone.

Byakuran grins and turns to the moon, "You've always been _very_ interesting, Arisato-_chan~_."

::

III.

When the others get to be too much, such as nearly or very much killing him, he hides away in his garage. _So many say that immortality is the greatest gift but it isn't. Not when everyone you know is-_

Oodako swims lazily in his giant glass pool as his master presses his bruised head against the cold glass. _At least one of us is happy. I'm sorry if they hurt you, I'm sorry I'm weak…_ Because he's been beaten into the ground, yet again, it doesn't hurt like it used to. Back in the beginning. _Get up and shrug it off._

Oodako makes clicking noises and his master smiles and slowly climbs up into the pool with him. _I never liked swimming before… so many memories… too many memories. [Beautiful golden brown hair, shy teal green eyes, red painted lips into a flustered smile; a cap pulled backwards, a grin towards the horizon. Blonde hair and the sound of multiple shots being fired.]_

He floats and occasionally snorts when Oodako's tentacles brush against him; he closes his eyes feeling his body heal, shuddering. Oodako pulls him under and he sinks down to the bottom. _It's quiet down here, wonderfully quiet. I want to stay in the quiet. With my memories._

Oodako swims above him making several clicking noises that sound like laughter facing him, Skull snorts again, bubbles escaping through his nose causing him to go cross-eyed for a second, and gives his friend a grin. _Never mocking, never. My only friend. Because Oodako reminded him of those days. _

He swims around with Oodako occasionally resurfacing for air, the weight of his suit doesn't bother him anymore; not after so many years. Not after everything. _I'm not afraid of this anymore, not afraid of dying. I'm not afraid of drowning in water more like my own…_

::

He works on his bike, ignoring the intent stare, he makes to grab a wrench and a hand takes his wrist. _Gnaw at it, break every bone in it. Never touching. Don't touch me._

He tenses and turns to see Byakuran grinning at him "I _know_."

_Ikutsuki, he's just like Ikutsuki_ "And?"

Byakuran grins, "I know your secret, _Nagisa_."

Skull smiles obnoxiously and leans in and says "Wrong-o." in a sing-song voice as he walks away. _The faces of his victims follow him._

::

IV.

For all his bravado, all his whining, all of _him_ he tries finding something, anything to fill in the emptiness that he feels every day. _Because this isn't apathy, this isn't his apathetic salvation. It's rougher, _**_deeper_**_ than what he used to feel back in __those__ days._

Tries to ignore the harshness that is his life. He does his best to ignore it. _Because that's all you can do, all I can do._

No one knows him, the only one who did have a sliver of information has been dead for decades and she didn't even know the whole truth, not even close to it. _He refuses to count Ikutsuki's incarnation. He refuses to even __look__ at Ikutsuki's incarnation. It's all he can do._

So he hides and builds a wall around his mind; of ice and barbed wire, of steel and hellfire, of nothing and of darkness.

But as much as he tries, he remembers _everything_ and the entire wall crumbles into nothing but ashes.

::

He refuses to talk about his life much like the other Arcobaleno, no one knows Reborn's background or that of Vipers or Verde's.

When asked he gives false tales that can't possibly be believed but then again the truth can't possibly be believed either.

_But he doesn't want them to know. They don't deserve to know. He'll take this with him until there is nothing left, even long after the sun goes supernova._

::

"Skull-nii," he turns to her from where he's washing the dishes, she's seated on top of the counter kicking her legs to and fro "why don't you ever take your suit off? Or your gloves?"

He thinks of his own body, of how he is a walking scar. How every scar has a story, has a reason. He looks down into those beautiful dove gray eyes, innocence still present in them no matter what she sees or what she does.

He leans in conspiratorially and she leans forward practically bouncing with anticipation, "Secret!" he whispers and gently splashes some water at her.

"Nii-san!" she huffs and there is a small splash fight that ensues.

But she forgets the question and he's thankful. _I don't want you to know, even though you even sacrificed us without batting an eyelash in the alternate… I can't let you know._ Someone here deserves to be innocent and while it'll never be him, at least he can hope that she'll remain this way for a bit longer.

::

There are nights when he has night terrors. _Waking up in cold sweat and finding he can't move and the shadows of the room are going to eat him. _There are nights when he has nightmares.

_Of lifting his finger up towards her and everything in his world falling apart. _

_Of being ripped apart while she left him to suffer. _

_Of everyone abandoning him. _

_Then there are the ones where he partakes in culling. _

_Ripping throats out with his teeth. Blood splashing on his face. _

_The song playing in his ears as he announces his victory with a guttural yell._

And then there are the ones of memories.

_That awful banging noise. One body, one friend, lying dead./ Bang, bang that awful sound. _

_The awful banging noise again. One body, a man atoning for the sins of his father./ Bang, bang you hit the ground..._

No one wakes him and he doesn't wake up screaming, doesn't wake up in hysterics or sobbing. _He's long since learned not to._

He just lays awake as he trembles in his bed with tears spilling from his eyes; guilt weighing heavily on his soul as he mouths his apologies into the air. _But no one sees him, no one but his kills._

_And they don't want to forgive him._

::

V.

There are days when he's unable to forget _it_, so he takes to walking around. _Patrolling, even though it doesn't exist and he no longer has a contract… he can't help it. _

He ends up in the garden staring up at the full moon that still makes him sick to look at. He fingers the silver gun strapped to his waist that hasn't been used in years. _The only 'gun' he ever has on him._

He hears his wristwatch tick and slowly begins the countdown as he begins to walk further into the gardens. "5, 4, 3, 2, 1…" he takes a step forward the beginnings of a smile tilting his lips because like all those other nights nothing-

Yuni's terrified scream and guns firing destroy the silence "Shit!"

::

He rushes inside and pauses noticing that nothing is out of place, everything looks _normal_ but it all feels off.

A loud roar causes him to jump and he rushes up the stairs, taking two at a time, heart pounding as he reaches the room. He throws open the door and stares with wide eyes at the large shadow. _But it's the same. Why is it the same?_

Verde's moscas aren't even budging it and the shadow doesn't even care about Viper shrugging off the attacks as if it were nothing. Fon manages to land a hit only to be thrown back.

He jumps hearing gun fire and sees half of the others shooting at it but nothing works. Not even Leon.

He sees Yuni, defenseless, and rushes towards her, unintentionally drawing the shadow's attention. _Stupid. STUPID! Never draw a predators attention!_

"You okay, sun spot?"

Yuni stares behind him in horror and Skull whirls around coming face to face with the shadow. _Heart rate is too fast, anxiety leaves him too cold, and the adrenaline is making him lightheaded and disgusted._

Without thinking he reaches for the gun strapped to his waist, puts it to his temple, and pulls the trigger. "Pe-ru-so-na."

_And just like the first time all those years ago, he doesn't hesitate_. _Not this time. Not again._

::

Yuni's eyes widen when she catches a glimpse of that familiar blue mist surround Skull, she watches as he puts a gun to his temple and pulls the trigger but instead of a gunshot and his brain matter splattering about; she sees blue stained glass coming from him. _But not a shatter, it's a snap._

"Pe-ru-so-na."

She gasps and huddles against the wall as something rises out of Skull and hovers over them.

::

"Thou art I and I am thou, from the sea of thy soul I cometh. I am Orpheus, master of strings."

He feels a sense of elated euphoria fill him, brushing away the emptiness he had felt for so many years.

Suddenly a harsh, crushing pain enters him and he cries out and clutches his head.

Above him Orpheus releases a strangled cry and begins to change.

::

The others watch in horrified fascination as the thing above Skull begins to change and unfurls itself to reveal a monstrous being, it releases a growl and launches itself at the monster.

It rips it apart, tearing away chunks of it and tearing at it with its teeth.

It takes the mask it wears into its jaws and crushes it; releasing a loud, blood curdling roar and then it turns towards Skull and Yuni.

::

Skull looks up with wide, pained eyes "R-Ryoji?" Thanatos slowly descends to the ground "Ryoji?"

Yuni stares at Skull in panic as he keeps saying a name in a reverent, hopeful voice; to her shock, the monster once again changes.

A boy stands in the monsters place, wearing a bright _yellow scarf_.

::

"RYOJI!"

Ryoji stares at the man in a purple leather outfit in confusion and then "Minato?"

Ryoji grunts as Minato engulfs him in a hug, his nose twitches but there is no scent. This man looks nothing like Minato nor does he smell like him but he _feels_ like him. Like he's hidden underneath all of these layers of something.

Ryoji hugs him back feeling tears soak through his shoulder. _He won't leave him now. Not again. This time, there will be nothing to separate them, he'll make sure of it or burn the world if it does._

::

He watches as the Lackey engulfs the boy in a hug and _sneers_. _Minato?_

Minato- _Skull_ tenses hearing the safety of a gun click off and quickly stands in front of Ryoji, staring at Reborn's chest. "He didn't do anything, sempai. You don't need to shoot him." _Because he can never look the older man in the eye. He's afraid of what he sees. [the abyss and it looks back]_

Ryoji stares up at Minato before glancing around him, noticing how different everyone else looks and then a soft gasp catches his attention and he turns to see a girl staring between him and Minato. "Minato, what's going on?"

::

_Minato _turns back to Ryoji and gives him a smile. _He looks just like he did back then. One thing that hasn't changed._

Reborn's jaw clenches and he growls, glaring at the Lackey. _Who _isn't_ paying him attention._

Yuni stares at everyone then glances at the destroyed room "Skull-nii, what's going on?"

He glances at Yuni and then back at Ryoji "That's what I'd like to know."

But Ryoji captures everyone's attention when he continues staring up at Minato "Why?" _Why do you look like that? Why are you here? Why am I here?_

The faces of his kills fade into the background.

::

Yuni directs them all to her study and sits at the head of the table. "I think that we should start from the beginning."

Skull sits next to that boy with the yellow scarf, practically plastered to his side. "All of it?"

"All of it, _Lackey_." Skull flinches at Reborn's murderous tone causing Ryoji to frown.

_What happened to you, Minato?_

Ryoji takes Skull's hand underneath the table and squeezes it tightly, Skull glances at him and gives him a taut smile.

"I guess so," he laughs humorlessly "this starts with a man named Koetsu Kirijo and how he tried to understand shadows but subsequently found out about the prophecy." Skull wets his lips and Ryoji begins to rub his thumb along his gloved knuckles. _I'm here now, you're not alone. I'm with you just as I always was._

"At first it started with human experimentation until he was able to create creatures like the one that attacked earlier," Skull gives them a vague smile "_we_ called them shadows. They are human emotions given form after they've been twisted and corrupted much like the humans they were once part of." _He remembers seeing the videos, watching as they mangled humans and broke their sanities; filling their minds with nothing but negativity until there was nothing left. The transformation from human to beast, the breaking of bone, the blood, and the screaming._

"They accepted death as deliverance, the freedom sought by all mankind. So they began collecting masses of shadows, who were part of the tarot," Skull begins writing out roman numerals "using the Thoth deck, splitting the original seventy-eight tarot deck into two halves. Twenty-two Major Arcana, the _face_ cards, and the other fifty-six Minor Arcana." Skull erases all but the first twenty-two numerals. "Beginning with the Fool and ending with the World. According to some, it tells the metaphorical individual's journey through life."

Skull taps the number zero "The Fool," he gains a bitter smile and blinks back tears "given the number zero, for _infinite_ possibilities." Ryoji squeezes his hand tightly, grounding him; Skull flashes him a grateful smile and begins to tap the numerals as he goes along. Magician, Priestess, Empress, Emperor.

His hand trembles as he points to the next numeral and continues, voice no higher than a whisper. Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Justice, the Hermit, Fortune, Strength, the Hanged Man. Skull stops and circles the thirteenth numeral and gives and odd sort of smile.

"And the tarot that was never meant to be, _Death_." Skull gives a hiccuping laugh and Ryoji gives him a faint smile and continues for him, as Skull brings himself back under control.

Temperance, Devil, Tower, the Star, Moon. Ryoji looks at Skull who squeezes his hand and nods.

The Sun, Judgment, and finally the World._ Even though I became the Universe._ Skull taps the thirteenth numeral "But, let's just focus on the first twelve, and under the experiment Death came to be. But during the last stages of the experiment, something went wrong," Skull gives a chilling smile "another scientist, the father of a friend, rejected their ideals and sabotaged the experiment causing a part of Death's power to shatter and strew itself about, thus making it incomplete."

Ryoji feels Skull squeeze his hand "The remaining shadows caused an explosion in the lab creating the phenomena that would come to be called the Dark Hour. Death escaped and so, it wandered looking for its powers. There were forces that were used to stop rampant shadows but during the explosion, only one remained." _Sweet Aigis, Aigis who never truly understood him; Aigis who would always be a machine no matter how hard she tried to be human. Aigis who once existed but was made into machine. Aigis who never remembered._

"Those forces were called the Anti-Shadow Emergency Control Weapons, the last one to remain was called Aigis." Ryoji stares at Skull with wide eyes but Skull is still staring at the thirteenth numeral "Aigis followed Death and fought it, but even with its incomplete power she could not stop Death."

Lal stares at Skull from where she is seated next to her husband, even though this sounded farfetched it was too elaborate. Rolled too smoothly, and the two looked too scarred by it to be telling anything _but_ the truth. "How did she beat it?"

Skull finally looks up at her and gives her that odd smile "Since she could not beat it, she sealed it into something, twins to be exact."

The tension in the room turns to shock and Ryoji fiddles with his scarf, _still the same nervous habit_ "Death was sealed into the first twin, a boy, and its power sealed into the second twin, a girl."_ there was fire, it was too hot, and mom didn't get up. Nagisa wouldn't let me get any closer to the burning car even though I knew mom was trapped inside. Then Aigis came over and carved seals onto us and sealed Ryoji inside of me and his power inside of Nagisa, and then made us forget about it. But we remembered, eventually. _

"The boy was you, right." Skull looks to Viper who stares at him as if he were dichotomizing him.

"Yes, I _was_, and the recently orphaned twins were sent away finally landing in foster care. Ten long years passed and the twins returned to the place where it all began-"

"Wait, why did no one report this? Surely there must have been witnesses." Skull spies Verde's notes but makes no move to call him out on it.

Skull gains an air of melancholy "There would have been, had it not been for the Dark Hour, nothing electronic works during this time and normal people are transmogrified, meaning that the air around them transformed and turned into coffins, so they were asleep inside of their coffins. Although there were a few people who remained awake during that time, some without the _potential_ and others with it."

"So, there was an hour in time where no one would be 'awake' except for a few people, and you and your sister had _Death_ inside of you for ten years, kora." At Skull's nod Colonello sighs through his nose "And you expect us to _believe_ all of this?"

"Sempai, we were cursed into spending decades in infantile bodies. We use can use our own individual flames, we have our own special animals, and we live in a world where everything and anything can happen because we're in the mafia. And this is believable but the other isn't?"

Ryoji frowns at him, not understanding but Minato gives him a smile that means he'll explain everything later, Reborn is the only one who sees the exchange and it _irks_ him.

Colonello blushes and scratches his temple mumbling under his breath as the others snicker, "Nii-san, please continue."

"The potential is essentially what I just did back there with that shadow, I summoned a persona. A piece of your soul, _'the self suffused with divine love, the self capable of demonic cruelty.'_ We all live by wearing different masks and the ability to summon that is called persona." Skull smiles sardonically "But if you can summon one, it won't be like with what happened to Ryoji."

Ryoji blushes at his teasing tone and gives him a fond smile "I honestly didn't expect that to happen. Not again anyway."

They share a laugh and Reborn growls cutting through their cynical cheer. "What do you mean by again?"

Skull looks away "When we returned, ten years later, one night a large shadow attacked the dorms that we were staying in. The person in charge of guarding us was knocked unconscious and we had to fend for ourselves. My sister unlocked her power first but it was different, hers didn't change… but she was too tired from summoning hers and she lost consciousness as well. I was left and I had to defend them from becoming living corpses. I summoned Orpheus and he changed into Thanatos, _Death_."

"And that was _**me**_. I had unwittingly led them back there in order to regain my power. The shadows were created to facilitate the rebirth of the maternal being, and when I awakened she was drawn to me and would bring about the _fall_."

"Fall?"

Skull turns to Yuni with a nod "The maternal being is simply called Nyx since there is no actual translation available for her in most tongues. She is… was the mother of the shadows, in legend, she bestowed Night and Death to this world. The Fall is what all humans' desire in the pit of their hearts," Skull looks down at the table as if trying to put the rest of his answer into words "in essence, it's the extinction of all mankind."

"But after I awakened _death_, there were trials… ordeals that took place every full moon. By defeating the twelve shadows that showed themselves on those nights, we thought that we were fighting to end the Dark Hour. Turns out that we were wrong, a madman who was left over from the experiment wanted to become _prince_ of the dark hour." Skull gives a sullen half smile "He tried crucifying us but instead he killed the father of one of my friends and then killed himself."

Skull feels Ryoji rub his knuckles again "After that Ryoji…"

Ryoji sits up and gives the other Arcobaleno an odd smile "At first, I woke up as an amnesiac boy by the name of Pharos. I would only appear in front of Minato or his twin during the Dark Hour but after they defeated the twelve shadows and restored my power, I took this form and attended school alongside Minato. I remembered who I was during a match with Aigis, I didn't know that I was the harbinger of the Fall until that night. I gave Minato and his group of friends the choice of whether to erase their memories or they could fight until the bitter end." "And we did, but things took a turn for the worse. Soon after my sister and I found ourselves inside of the moon, where Nyx is. However it was I who 'defeated' Nyx but she got the glory." Skull smiles "I lasted for two months after the battle, no one save Aigis remembered."

Yuni frowns feeling trepidation rise "What do you mean you lasted for two months, nii-san?"

Skull runs a hand through his hair "In order to 'defeat' Nyx, I had to unleash my special power. It used up my life force and I lasted a month, continuing my life as a high school student even if all I wanted to do was die." _Even if I went to sleep every night fearing that I'd never wake up again._ Skull gives them a false, cheery smile "And that is how _I_ gained immortality." _But I didn't make it to them, I went to the Shrine and fell asleep. There wasn't anyone with me._

An uneasy silence follows the declaration because none of them _had_ to die, although Lal nearly did so. "But that doesn't explain why _he's_ here." Lal narrows her eyes seeing the glower Reborn tries to hide behind his fedora. The glower the others ignore, even Skull doesn't pay attention to it but the kid is busy thinking about why Death came out of his head, again.

Skull looks from Reborn over to Ryoji and back again "I'm just as in the dark as you are. I mean, there is no Dark Hour here. Not in all of these years, the group of scientists does not exist here. There is no data of anyone conducting any experiments-" _because he did check. Ran background checks, ran genealogy checks. Anything, everything. _Skull pauses and his eyes widen before he begins shaking his head "No, Rokudo wiped them out…"

Ryoji looks at Minato who looks so odd in all of this "Minato?"

Skull gives Ryoji a pacifying smile "It's a theory and it may not even add up but the only ones I can think of that have done anything even slightly similar to what happened back then, is the Estraneo famiglia, but as we all know Rokudo wiped them out but it's something."

_But God does he hope that it isn't. _Skull rubs at his forearm where one of many scars lays underneath it all and only two catch the movement.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank all of you sweet bunnies for everything!

::

VI.

The others begin their own research and the Lackey begins to help _it _understand. _[The hot flash of anger—of rage—should unnerve him but it doesn't. Instead he rolls with it rather than bricking it all up inside of him.'_

Perhaps it's because it—the boy—was, is _Death_ that places him on edge but whenever he sees him, his hands itch to pull the trigger. _[There's another reason for that but he doesn't dig too deep into it, he _doesn't_ want to.]_

::

VII.

Ryoji finds this new world odd but Minato _seems_ happy, if extremely off. He knows the other well, regardless of this. _Even though Minato moves tersely, even though his smiles seem forced. Even though he looks like he's ready to rip his skin off._

Minato gives him a tour of the manor, merely pointing out the rooms the others occupy before he shows him his own. Filled to the brim with video games and looking like a regular teenage boy's room, as regular as one can get with Minato's occupation and the bonus of immortality. _It isn't like Minato, this isn't him, it looks like something from Junpei's… oh…_

But Minato drags him along the light in his odd violet eyes particularly vibrant and Ryoji squashes the whisper, that it may be the first time in a long time that he's seen that look, ruthlessly because it isn't needed. Not when Minato is happy.

Minato takes him into a large garage chattering happily pointing to a well-loved and well taken care of motorcycle "And this is Oodako!" Ryoji laughs at the bright smile directed at him and then at the giant octopus in the glass pool. "Oodako, this is Ryoji! He's a very good friend!"

Ryoji and Minatostand in front of the glass pool watching Oodako swim by lazily hearing the clicks and groans emitting from the large creature. "Are you well? You seem off." Because he didn't spend little over a decade inside of Minato without getting to know him. _Because it seems like there are layers to Minato, layers where there shouldn't be. Layers that are missing._

"I'm not okay but now that you're here, I just know I'll get better." The bright smile makes that familiar hot flash of warmth spike in his belly just like the first time, just like the last time. _"I think I'd love you no matter what the gender." He remembers saying to Minato who lay on his back sleeping against a persimmon tree in the school courtyard._ _» But no, he doesn't _think_ he'd love Minato, he _knows_ that he'll love Minato. «_

Ryoji doesn't realize that he's taken Minato's gloved hand and is holding it shyly, as if it were their first date, and only realizes when Minato squeezes his fingers. The leather warming his skin, the only layer between their palms, Ryoji flushes and hides behind his scarf in embarrassment, bunching the hem of it with his other hand, causing Minato to chortle.

::

He knows that he'll need to come clean soon, he can't lie to Ryoji. He doesn't _want_ to lie to Ryoji because Ryoji is here, Ryoji is his. _But there is something holding him back though, why?_

Even if it means that he loses the others all he wants is Ryoji. All that matters is Ryoji. _This single minded devotion should raise warning bells in his brain. He shouldn't be this dependent but Ryoji understands, he's always understood._

_Ryoji who always remembered him, Ryoji who always invited him out, Ryoji who always gave him that special, sweet smile that was so different from the others he gave to those girls and to _her_. _

Ryoji smiles at him when he grasps his hand and _Minato_ smiles back.

::

The boy bothers her, not that he's done anything wrong but she had seen what was in those coffins.

Two people, are all she can make out. A blonde haired woman. A grey haired boy.

She hadn't been able to see anything further before it changed into Ryoji.

And now, her visions keep changing.

_Someone flying back. The sound of a body hitting the pavement. The cracking of bone. A battle cry. Then shock. Then tears. And then the goodbyes._

But it isn't always like that. _It's never like that these days and it bothers her because the visions are supposed to be fading._

Sometimes she sees the others laying on the floor struggling to breathe. Sometimes she sees the one stand in front of her and glass shattering.

She sees two masked figures and then Skull on his knees sobbing.

Yuni clenches her hands into fists as she glares down at her desk; _it isn't fair. People are getting hurt and I can't do anything!_

::

He doesn't mind Yuni tagging along with them, Ryoji is fascinated by everything and Yuni helps give a new perspective of things.

But Ryoji keeps giving him these glances, like he's expecting something from him. He can't give him everything, not yet at least._ But what am I waiting for? Why am I hesitant?_

_[The faces of his victims don't show themselves when Ryoji's around.]_

::

Minato is hesitant to leave him alone.

Ryoji smiles at him and holds his hand tighter "You'll be back, right?"

Minato gives him a smile and nods ignoring how Colonello begins to poke fun at him only to be silenced by a harsh kick to the ribs by his wife. "Of course." _I'll always come back for you, Ryoji._

_Skull_ leaves for his mission and Ryoji is left alone with the other Arcobaleno.

::

He finds them all odd, so different from SEES and from Minato and Nagisa. _Though no one could ever be like them, no one could ever be like Minato._

The blond man, Colonello, ignores him after the initial handshake and pleasantries, though no less wary. His wife, the blue haired woman, Lal Mirch, isn't quite so obvious but Ryoji doesn't flirt. _Not anymore_. They are wary of him yet ignore him, as he is a 'civilian' and has not reverted back to his 'harbinger' form. _He will perhaps let them depart peacefully instead of ripping them to shreds if Minato tells him not to._

The green haired man, Verde, well Minato was adamant that he never be alone in the same room as him as he was a scientist first and a 'socially and emotionally inept homicidal hermit crab' second. _Minato is wary around him like he always is with scientists, if he proves different then perhaps he will not stuff him in one of his coffins._

The floating individual, Viper, ignores him as well. Minato informed him that Viper placed money above all else. _He will let this one pass, he has no use for this one._

The other, Fon, is nice and patient. Ryoji doesn't know him well enough beyond that but Minato says 'Fon is one of the calmest around here and he gives great advice, he loves oolong tea.' Even though Minato himself hardly ever stays around Fon. _Perhaps he will not go into any of my coffins._

Yuni has been nothing but kind to him and Minato seems to care for her greatly although he does hold her at a distance, just like he did with everyone, but she is special. She can _see_. She hasn't yet asked him about just what she had seen but he figures it's to spare Minato from having to talk about. _But not even Minato knows who is in those coffins by his side; four out of regret and three out of hatred. He will place her lovingly inside of one of his beloved's kind coffins; Minato has never said anything unkind of her nor does he fear her._

The last one, _Reborn_, Ryoji dislikes him greatly. Even though he was not cognizant with Minato _here_, he knows that the other has caused him great pain. _His _Minato was not skittish, did not fear anyone, did not act like this or allow himself to be cowed by anyone. _Minato _had never acted like this before. _Never around so many people and he will take in great delight in stuffing his body into the coffin of agony._

::

Ryoji walks about the gardens in the early morning, taking in the bright colors and _life_ around him, as he waits for Minato to return. His slate blue eyes narrow and glow an electric blue "Step forward." He growls out.

Reborn steps out with a green gun in his hand, he walks over standing toe to toe with _it. _

Ryoji meets his dark glower head on and feels the barrel of the gun jab the underside of his chin, he smiles back coldly. "Cocky _for a human_." He growls out in a lost language.

Reborn sneers at him and the sound of the safety coming off echoes destroys the tranquil silence. _"What's your game, you disgusting-"_

"RYOJI!" Skull pushes Ryoji behind him and glares up at Reborn even though he's afraid._ Reborn makes him quake, makes him feel like he's going to die in three seconds should he even blink the wrong way._

Ryoji gives Reborn a cold smile from behind Minato's back causing Reborn to scowl. _Minato only needs me, you are of no use to him._

"S-stay a-away f-from Ryoji, sempai."_ But he isn't afraid of being shot. Isn't afraid of eating a bullet. It's happened far too many times for it to scare him anymore but just for a second the real him shines through._

Reborn points his gun right between Skull's eyes but to his mild surprise, he doesn't flinch. He watches as Skull meets his gaze head on; _daring_ him to pull the trigger. He scoffs and Leon transforms back and scurries up his shoulder "Waste of a bullet anyway." he leaves.

Ryoji watches as Skull falls to his knees, nearly hyperventilating and Ryoji kneels in front of him and holds him close. "Breathe, breathe. I'm here."

_Minato_ clutches onto him and trembles. _But he's not afraid for himself, he's afraid of what could have happened to Ryoji, what would have happened to him if he had let Reborn fire the gun. He doesn't want to see, doesn't want to know._

Ryoji glares into the tree line even as he whispers reassurances to Minato and helps him breathe._ The coffin of agony and the rest of eternity in the coffin of retribution._

::

VIII - XII

No one can find anything; there are no individuals left from the Estraneo familgia. _Not a trace of anything like that happening. No documents, no paper trail, nothing. Any familgia doing something like that would have been found but there's nothing._

It sets off the Lackey's paranoia to the point where death threats don't work or even his semi-daily beatings, not even Yuni can calm him down but all _it _needs to do is touch him and the Lackey's fine. _It makes him grind his teeth like a fucking teenager and feel so damn frustrated, there's a part of him that knows _why_ he feels this way but like hell he's paying attention to it._

Ryoji greatly _despises_ this Reborn fellow. His violent actions cause Minato to suffer nightly and he's constantly tired. His paranoia is upsetting as well but he knows why.

How could Minato have summoned him if this world does not have personae? As much as Ryoji would like to do his own investigating, he can't leave Minato. Not like this. _Even though he had gone to rest, the link between he and Minato remained open; he knew how painful it was for the other to get up in the mornings that followed after, and how it hurt that no one remembered. Thinking, panicking that it may be the final time he opened his eyes every time he fell asleep. He would not let Minato suffer through that alone._

::

In the haze of everything, Yuni forgets to ask Byakuran not to come over.

Her visions have changed again; she sees short hair, hears the sobbing. Can practically taste the anxiety in the air. Someone lying on a bed and another kneeling.

There is nothing definite but the others _seem_ like they are.

She sees short hair and short hair is the center of all of them. _But who is it? There are so many with short hair._

::

Skull knows to be incredibly wary around Byakuran, since the man had actually _killed_ him as opposed to everyone else. _He can't remember how though, he probably shouldn't even think too hard on it. _So he prefers staying away from him, also because Byakuran had stepped through different realities and to what extent he didn't know but he didn't want to find out. _He could have been anyone but he doesn't want to know because he'll start looking at him for whoever he was back then. So he'll settle with Ikutsuki._

No one, however, told Ryoji.

::

He was possessive of Minato. He is possessive of Minato. _To make up for the first and then the last._

It was one of the reasons why _he_ ripped through Orpheus that fated day _[Minato is his. Will always be his.]_. _Minato doesn't know. He doesn't remember the others._

Even though he is Death, he _cannot_ and _will not_ bring himself to take Minato's life before he is completely certain the other has had everything life has had to offer him. _He wants to build him an empire where he sits as Queen on a throne of gold and bones, watching over their subjects but never taking part. He would be untouched by filth and decay, innocent of death's touch and a ray of light in his world of rot. / Some part of him whispers that it isn't healthy to be this way, to want this but he does want Minato to be happy. If this makes him happy, he will gladly burn the world for him. /_

He will bide his time, watching and picking out everyone whom his Queen deems worthy and allow them to live until his Queen grows bored. _Another reason why he wants him, Minato would not be so callous as to do something like that. He had sacrificed so much for everyone, he values life. And that is why he will have him as his queen._

Minato will be life while he continues being death.

Then he meets _him_, the disgusting glitch in the system.

::

Skull holds Ryoji's hand as they come in from the garden. Yuni lets him have a small vacation away from missions; the Cloud Guardian too skittish and nerve wracked to do any type of mission. _The others probably make fun of him for it but he can't help it. He has an acute sense of paranoia and it always pays off, at least it always works for him._

He tenses sharply, gloved fingers digging into Ryoji's flesh when he spies Byakuran giving him a grin.

But then Ryoji releases an inhumane roar and launches himself at the sociopath.

Ryoji slams him into the wall, air twisting and snapping around him. _"You __**DARE**__!" _he shouts it his face and Byakuran grins again. "You dare send _him _into _my_ embrace!?"

Skull's eyes widen and frantically he goes over, tugging on Ryoji's arm. "Ryoji let go," Ryoji turns to him, normal slate blue eyes glowing that infernal electric blue "h-he's not worth it." _Like that day. Like that day on the bridge._

Ryoji lets Byakuran go and smiles at him, sweetly and in a honeyed voice says _"When you die, I will personally see to it that you get _exactly_ what you deserve."_

::

XIII

It's quiet today.

Skull detests the quiet, it reminds him too much of the time before and the time now. _He would love his old music, so different from here. Maybe one day, he'll try and find one of the models and fix up the headphones. He'll remake the music if he has to but the quiet is too much._ The quiet makes his skin feel like it will flay itself off.

Ryoji begins humming and running his fingers through his hair, Skull—_Minato—_relaxes and nuzzles into his thigh causing Ryoji to smile down at him in adoration. "Something's going to happen." Minato says, staring up at the autumn leaves blushing underneath his makeup. _He could feel these things now._

Ryoji pauses and hums before resuming his actions. "Ryoji, why did you slam Byakuran into the wall?"

Ryoji looks down at Minato when he begins to tug at his scarf gently; he looks so different now, he almost can't recognize him but it's Minato, in a different body. _Violet has overtaken blue and his skin is pale rather than a soft tan. _"Because he _killed _you, he brought you into my embrace no matter how short a time." _He knew of the other deaths at the hands of those two but this was different because while they had ignorance on their side, he __**knew**__. __**He played a part in it**__._

Minato gives him a confused smile "It was only for a few minutes, I guess even immortals can die." _He's forgetting the other time, he's guessing the permanent time but he doesn't want to talk about that. He doesn't want to remember that._

Ryoji gives him a vague smile and looks out into the distance. _Not you, not anymore. I'll be sure to have them placed in the deepest pit of purgatory so that they'll never see the light of day. I'll make their stay in purgatory feel just as if they've stepped into the final layer of hell._

::

He doesn't like _it_.

Always touching _his _Lackey-

He stops cold.

No, _no _the Lackey is **his** and not even _Death_ is allowed to have him. _His punching bag, his impromptu target, __his__._

If they can figure out just _who_ created that _thing_ then when it's over _it'll _go away and the Lackey won't need him again. _His attention will all be focused on him, like it __should__._

Because they achieved immortality and it's damn hard to kill an immortal. _Regardless of the fact that I've killed him. That we've all killed him. He gets back up and comes back. [He knows the last part isn't right.] *Light curly brown hair, olive green eyes, beautiful smile*_

_It isn't right but the Lackey is his._

::

He's just waiting. Bidding his time. _He had learned to be patient with these things, no use in ruining it all._

The greatest show is about to start. _Far greater. The shows with _him_ were always the best just like Tsuna's._

He can just feel it. But this time, he won't be orchestrating it, he'll be part of the audience for the first time in his alternate lives, with a prime seat to watch. _And what a grand orchestra and show this will be. Where everything will fall out from their feet._

::

Skull's paranoia is right. _After all it had saved him so many times, how could it not be?_

But he is not the target. _And that began the entire fiasco._

::

Since he is part of the Dark Hour, he knows when it will begin.

There is no Dark Hour here but everything feels off as time begins to twist and remold itself.

Ryoji scans the garden area from where he's leaning against a tree, everyone is outside today 'stretching their legs'; the Fon fellow is meditating, while Viper is looking over the stock market and his account, Verde is going over his notes, and Yuni is having tea with _that thing_.

The blond man and the blue haired woman are training a few yards away, Minato is inside making him something _(he preens as Reborn glowers darkly)_, and _Reborn_ is glaring at him from where he's leaning against the wall. _No one here knows about Minato, who he is or what he likes. All they know is his persona Skull and that rubs that silly human the wrong way._

He tenses and his eyes narrow _"Show yourself!"_ he jumps back and away from the net that was launched at him. He growls and scans the area, hackles rising. The others are prepared to 'assist' on Yuni's orders.

He's not paying attention to what the others are doing, too busy dodging nets and bullets to see that Byakuran is _frowning_.

He knows the ones trying to capture him are dying, he is death. Part of him takes care of ripping their souls out and casting them into the afterlife where they will go to their respective places if he chooses not to have them go through the _perceived _way.

With that in mind he fails to see the one in the tree line.

He receives three bullets to the chest.

He goes down like a puppet with its strings cut and all he can hear is Minato's horrified screaming as everything fades to black. _So __**this**__ is me._

::

It was a secret and favorite past time of his, making sweets, cooking in general. _She_ had never let him cook and well here he's _Skull_. _Skull who only has his saving grace in his stunts and his endurance. He's not good at anything, not particularly._

Ryoji has a sweet tooth identical to his, so he makes him a bit of everything he would always make when he was _Minato_. Sweet potato fries, chocolate truffles, sugar cookies, and banana cupcakes and a handmade strawberry smoothie. _So many years and he's nearly forgotten how good it made him feel to cook._

He smiles as he fixes the tray ignorant to the chaos outside and exits; snapping his head up at the sounds of gunshots.

His eyes widen seeing Ryoji go down blood staining his white shirt, the tray falls the contents spilling, glass shattering. _Just like Shinji. _"RYOJI!" _not like Shinji. Don't be like Shinji. I couldn't save Shinji!_

He runs over to Ryoji as the others dispatch of the rest and he places the evoker to his temple and pulls the trigger.

Nothing.

He keep pulling the trigger but nothing is happening. "No no no! Work! Work! _**Work**_!"

He feels Yuni step forward as he keeps pulling the trigger but it won't work. _I won't let you be like Shinji!_ His piercings burn and bring his attention back to what he has to do.

He begins taking them off and in the distance Byakuran practically salivates.

::

When Skull removes the last of his piercings it's like his entire body begins to crack. Small fissures appear on his flesh with the sound like ice cracking. He puts the evoker back and begins to pull the trigger as blue mist rises. _You will work! You will! I __**demand**__ that you work!_

He pulls the trigger "Kohryu!"

His appearance shatters and the golden dragon rises with a mighty roar. A symbol appears inside of a blue orb and Ryoji's body glows the same color.

The others watch in fascination as Ryoji sits up with a gasp clutching at his chest, where the bullets pierced.

As the ruler of Ssu-Ling disappears so does the blue mist leaving behind the individual with short blue hair that stars in Yuni's visions and Byakuran cackles. _Always a show stopper!_

::

He _can't_ believe this.

Of all the things in all the world, he _can't_ with _this_. _Fucking Lackey_.

The Lackey has always been small but now they know why.

_The damn Lackey is a __**girl**_.

The Lackey begins to drag the unconscious shit into the manor, or at least tries until Fon steps in and tries to take him.

With surprising agility, _she_ grabs his wrist and he stares down at _her_ as _she_ searches his face. "He's _**not**_ dead. He _**isn't**_."

Fon gives _her_ an odd expression before he gives _her_ a pacifying smile "Of course not, Skull. I'm just taking him inside, do you want me to put him in your room?" Skull nods quickly and scurries after him, wringing hi-_her_ hands.

The others trade glances before following and as Yuni enters the manor she catches Byakuran's eye.

::

Fon deposits Ryoji on Skull's bed and she wastes no time in kneeling next to him. They all watch as Skull gently brushes stray hairs away from Ryoji's face and fixes his scarf before she puts a throw blanket over him. She watches the rise and fall of his chest intently.

"When were you gonna tell us that _you_ were a girl?" Surprisingly it's Lal who demands to know instead of Reborn, who is practically murderous.

Skull doesn't tear her eyes away from _Ryoji_. "There was no need, you didn't _care_ to know, and I _didn't want_ to tell you."

And the truth hurts.

"Does anyone else know?"

Skull looks up at Fon, who stares down at her with a dejected, peculiar face. "No," she turns back to Ryoji "not even Luce."

Reborn punches the wall and Skull flinches covering her head.

Fon glares at him "_Reborn_," he turns back to Skull "Skull, why did you hide it?"

Skull doesn't answer and instead takes Ryoji's hand as Reborn begins to grind his teeth together. _Of course it's all about __**him**__._ Ryoji's hand twitches and Skull brings their joined hands up and _nuzzles_ them.

The door slams shut as Reborn storms out.


	3. Chapter 3

You are all my sweet bunnies and very adorable, you make me blush with your kudos, hits, and reviews so thank you all dearly!

News: Minato is agender.

* * *

Skull doesn't leave Ryoji's side, doesn't eat, doesn't sleep. She remains at his side watching him breathe.

Lal stares at Skull at a loss of what to do. Fon usually just comes in and talks to Skull or just sits by her side, keeping silent company. Viper doesn't step foot inside of the room and Skull has barred Verde from even stepping foot near her door. Skull won't let Colonello near Ryoji, and herself by extension.

"Come and eat." Skull doesn't move, doesn't even seem like she's noticed her. "Skull, come and eat." She orders but Skull still doesn't move "Skull, he would want you to eat, he'd be sad if you didn't eat." She hates doing these sorts of things, she doesn't do soft and comforting. Especially around Skull because he can take it just like they would but Skull is actually a girl, and Lal is a soldier first and woman at the very last.

She doesn't know how to deal with these sorts of things in the long run. "I can't," she stares at Skull who finally looks away from Ryoji and at her, russet brown eyes stare down at her. "I can't leave him."

And then Lal understands, it's not just Ryoji she's keeping watch over but someone she had known, possibly someone she had loved, someone she hadn't been able to save. "He's alive, you've seen him breathing just fine without a respirator. And that thing you called out healed him, right?"

Skull turns to her and nods hesitantly and Lal tries giving her a smile that falls flat "Then, come on. Get yourself something to eat, you saved him." The grateful smile she receives unnerves her.

They've killed hi-her numerous times and still she… Soldier first. But no one gets left behind. No soldier treats their squadron like this.

She's too exhausted for this, Skull follows her like a puppy and everyone is surprised when she sits at the table across from Skull.

"Eat, you need your strength."

Skull nods meekly and begins eating slowly as she hunches into herself feeling the others stare at her.

::

They don't like remembering that Skull died first buying time for them to escape (as if they were cowards). Because it means that they abandoned one of their own to die, regardless of self-sacrifice.

On the last night, before they ran-before Skull died-, they knew he was outside staring up at the moon like he was in love with it. Like he was waiting for something, someone, to come down from it. "I guess they were right, I'm not cut out for this. I'm just a kid, really." [And it hurts now, now that they know Skull is just a seventeen year old but God he'd been seventeen when he'd been-]

Then discovering his body, broken and bloody, strung up by his intestines like a marionette; he'd been unrecognizable if not for the last remaining shreds of the motorcycle suit and Oodako barely surviving, equally hurt, takes the body into a large body of water and they aren't seen again.

But they remember Oodako gently, very gently, trying to wake Skull up from his macabre perch, remember the pained groaning noise when it accidentally ripped Skull's intestines out. It had cradled Skull close like a mother would a child and dragged them down into the deep blue depths of the ocean.

Lal remembers putting a bullet through her own head after they got Colonello and Verde and she knows Viper took vis own life not long after but Fon and Reborn remain a mystery.

Fon never speaks of his own death/meeting the ocean blue, one of Skull's larger piercings around his finger.

Reborn refuses to think of it /gripping onto the thin chain bracelet Skull used to wear.

But Skull doesn't remember, doesn't even seem to think that anything is strange when they come back. They had shrugged it off as brain trauma and tried settling back into routine. (Skull had made a comment about going to the ocean and Reborn and Colonello snapped and beat him into the ground only realizing with wide eyes at what they'd done before playing it off. Skull never even found it odd that they'd all left on missions that resulted in not seeing each other for another ten months.)

Yuni will never tell them that she knows, will never tell them that she saw. If she treats Skull as her favorite (because he is, because he has always been her favorite) then it's nobody's business but her own.

::

He feels conflicted when seeing the two of them. Lal with her aura that demands respect and the Lackey who seems more like a civilian than like any of them.

But that's not why; the Lackey looks like the perfect mixture of Lal and himself. She could pass for their daughter. Their teenage daughter because even though they knew the Lackey was the youngest they didn't think she was eternally seventeen.

His staring unnerves her and she begins to hunch into herself, he doesn't stop staring until Lal jabs him in the rib cage with her butter knife.

::

Skull tries going back to Ryoji, tries because Byakuran stops her on the way.

Reborn tails after them when Byakuran drags Skull into a room.

"So you were a girl this time too. Seems I was right, Nagisa."

Skull glares at him feeling her hackles rise "I am not Nagisa." [Always compared. Always. Orange is complementary to blue, Minato-kun. **Always losing**.]

Byakuran sighs and tilts his head this and that way "No, no you aren't. But you're good, tricking the Great Arcobaleno," he grins maniacally "even tricking the Vindice."

Skull tenses and takes two steps back when he reaches to caress her face "Your bedroom skills are legendary, it's absolutely no wonder. Considering how you've gotten around." Blood rushes to her face before she can stop it.

Strewn her up by her innards in front of the manor, executed her in front of the other Arcobaleno after shredding her clothes and glamour. Had his way with her regardless of form. Always so very delicious. Shooting him in the stomach, tears streaming down his face. **Vicious**.

"I've practically sa-" Skull slaps him, and Byakuran tastes blood. He turns back to her grinning as her mortified blush spreads.

"I have no time for you, **Takaya**." With that she leaves the room hurriedly.

Byakuran grins as Reborn storms into the room, expression dark and gun at the ready. Clever, stupid girl. He turns to Reborn still grinning. So angry and you don't even know why. [But I'm not Takaya]

This was why he liked her, so different in every way, never boring him like the others. Just like Tsuna. Whenever he'd met her she'd always been different. She'd been a girl named Mitsuru, a boy named Shinjiro, and then the attendant. So many lives and so many different choices.

"Why so angry, Reborn?"

::

Skull doesn't react to the door opening or closing, she's heard it many times over the last month. She keeps her silent vigil over Ryoji promising that she'll tell him everything should he wake up.

"Lackey." Skull cringes at the familiar voice and turns her head towards Reborn, not wanting him to shoot Ryoji.

"S-sempai?"

Reborn stares at her for the longest time before he scoffs and leaves. Skull stares after him but turns back to Ryoji and watches him sleep.

Skull jumps hearing the door slam open and whirls around to see Reborn, again. "Sempai?"

Reborn stalks over to her and Skull curls into herself but does not let go of Ryoji's hand. "Move it, Lackey."

"What are you going to do to Ryoji?" sable brown eyes glare down at her and Skull struggles with the beaten in instinct to flinch and hide and the natural instinct to stand up and face the threat to the bitter end.

Reborn's hand clench into fists as he reigns in the urge to hit the Lackey. Men are supposed to protect women. "Move aside, Lackey."

"No. You can beat me bloody and leave me dying but you are not touching Ryoji." No one's taking Ryoji away from me again. No one. Not you and certainly not her.

"Damn it Lackey," Reborn grinds his teeth "I-"

Yuni comes in giving a sheepish smile, Reborn steps away from Skull who gives Yuni a shaky, vague smile. "Skull-ni…" Yuni clears her throat "Skull-nee, let's go shopping!"

Skull frowns and looks down at her clothes, they were baggy and, while hot, manageable to be in. "Not right now…" Skull flinches when Yuni begins to look close to tears.

"Please, nee-san. I'll have Ryoji-kun be taken care of by my doctor and he'll be guarded!"

Yuni, showing surprising strength for her small build, grabs her hand and bodily drags her away.

Reborn stares at Ryoji's comatose form and sneers. "You're too much trouble."

::

She doesn't know why shopping popped into her mind but it was probably because Skull didn't wear anything but baggy clothes.

She looks back at Skull who hunches into herself and while she doesn't look out of place, she looks uncomfortable. Perhaps she should have gone to a small scale store instead of where she's usually taken to shop. Please let me do this, I need to apologize.

She places the clothes she had picked out down and goes over to Skull who gives her a shaky smile "What would you like to buy?" Skull blinks at her slowly and Yuni smiles "We're here to shop for you." Yuni pauses and inwardly chastises herself "You are comfortable wearing girl- I mean you are comfortable wearing feminine clothes, right?"

Skull gives her a small, silly smile with hesitant hope fluttering in her chest "I'm comfortable in either." Yuni, why are you trying to apologize to me? You don't need to.

Yuni smiles and brings out her cell phone, "Great! I'll call Tsuna-san and have him send Haru-san over!"

"I-uh, I know what I want to buy."

Yuni blinks owlishly and beams at her "Then I'll help, where to nee-san?"

Skull is oddly specific about what she wants but Yuni is glad enough to help her with it. But she doesn't know why she's got them, doesn't know why she's got that melancholic look in her eyes.

And to end their trip, Yuni stops Skull before they can leave the store.

Skull turns to her expectantly and Yuni smiles holding up some clothes, Skull resigns herself and lets Yuni dress her up. Hope that flutters lands back on the floor, broken once again.

::

He hadn't meant to be asleep for so long but he had to find out what was happening. Nyx was dormant, and while Erebus did exist it was nowhere near Nyx. But trying to find everything is taxing and there are too many ends and lies to sort through.

He does find one thing though, that a man is attempting to recreate the shadows.

He's trying to get a name when he's ripped from the void and shoved back into his body.

He sits up with a strangled gasp and stares at his scowling face, Ryoji glares at him. "Where's Minato?" His sweet Minato whom was a boy and now a girl, who hid behind the façade of a man.

"Yuni. We're going to have a little chat, Death." The Lackey is his and not even death can have her.

Ryoji gives him a sadistic smile "I could say the same." Minato is his and when he rids the world of every being who opposes him, he shall place her as queen. His queen, his light. The only one who mattered now. "Stay away from Minato."

"Or what?"

"I'll rip your soul out and cast it into the pit of hell. You're getting near her over my dead body."

Reborn's hand clench into fists as a sadistic smirk appears on his face "That," he purrs "can easily be arranged."

::

Yuni's call for them to come to the garden doesn't necessarily confuse them but the fact that Skull is not with her does.

What does catch their attention is Ryoji's gasp and they follow his line of sight.

A girl slowly turns towards them, wearing a white turtleneck shirt, a black mini skirt, black leggings and black knee-high boots with heels. Her short, messy indigo blue hair with bangs held back by a red clip, gunmetal blue eyes stand out against her peach complexion. Even after all of these years, all of these different lives; she's still short.

"Minato." Ryoji whispers in awe as she finally faces them.

She stares at Ryoji with wide eyes before a dazzling smile appears on her face and she breaks off into a run "Ryoji!"

They embrace and Ryoji holds her so tightly he can hear her bones protest. Such a small and delicate body so different from the light build she once had in the first. But he doesn't care as he inhales the familiar scent of blueberries.

Minato cradles Ryoji closer fighting back tears in her eyes. Safe, he's safe.

::

Minato pulls away first and Ryoji keeps them in a loose embrace, "H-how?"

Here Ryoji begins scowling and wordlessly gestures to Reborn who glares at him.

Minato pulls away giving Ryoji a kind smile when she sees his frown, she goes up to Reborn, and to everyone's surprise, she bows deeply at the waist looking a second from prostrating herself with her forehead touching the ground. "Thank you so very much, sempai!"

The sincerity that coats her voice makes the others uncomfortable, and Reborn turns his head away grumbling.

But when Minato straightens, she gives him a sweet, thankful smile before she goes back to Ryoji.

Ryoji and Reborn exchange thunderous glares over her head. **Minato**/The Lackey **is mine**.

::

Minato is practically blissful as she begins baking sweets again and Yuni watches her in surprise from her seat next to Ryoji at the island table in the kitchen.

Ryoji watches her with a fond, nostalgic smile "I didn't know you could cook, Skull-nee." They don't notice her tension do they?

Minato turns back to her and gives her a sheepish half-smile "Not many people knew and I haven't cooked in a long time for anyone other than myself, so sorry if it comes out tasting off." [It's the one thing they could do together without arguing and everyone was happy, teasing each other in between bites and warm laughter filling the dorm.]

She bakes chocolate truffles and sugar cookies, and banana cupcakes and sweet potato fries. "What else can you cook, nee-san?"

Minato pauses in serving their mango smoothies and smiles "Someone I knew used to be obsessed with the Victorian Era so I used to bake those recipes. But mainly I love baking sweets." [She loved that period in time and while the aesthetic was pleasing, it was never Minato's cup of tea.]

Yuni takes a curious bite out of one of the sweet potato fries and her eyes widen, "Nee-san, it's amazing!"

Minato blushes brightly and hides her silly smile behind her smoothie, Ryoji watches her with fond eyes. I'll find the cause of this and when I do, I'll make your crown and weapon from his bones.

::

When Minato is busy getting dressed for the night, Yuni comes in. Minato quickly finishes getting dressed but Yuni sees the burn marks that look like chains on her wrists and the symbols on her back. "Y-Yuni?"

Yuni gives her a smile "Nee-san, may I borrow Ryoji-kun for a few minutes?"

Minato frowns as Ryoji comes out of her bathroom in his white and black striped pajamas, drying his hair.

Yuni takes note that Ryoji must have looked a lot like the male version of Minato.

Minato stares at Ryoji with wide eyes as he lowers the towel to give her a smile which she returns with a nostalgic one "I forget that you and Pharos are the same." She goes over to him and gently brushes some of his fringe aside, standing on her tip toes. "Yuni wants to speak with you."

Ryoji nods and takes her hand giving it a gentle squeeze before placing a kiss on the back of it. He remembers wanting to do this, the strength of that want scaring him each time but he also wanted to break every single bone in her body and reform it into a new image where she knew only him. But now he doesn't need to do so, he doesn't want to do so, simply because she is his, she needs him. "I'll be back."

Minato huffs as Ryoji places a kiss on her brow, she watches them leave and opens the window soon after.

She stares out at the night sky, straight up at the moon. "If you don't exist… if Erebus doesn't exist then who's holding the rope?"

The moon remains silent and innocuous overhead.

::

Yuni leads Ryoji to her private study and gestures for him to take a seat, sitting across from him with an icy look on her eyes. I won't do something even if I am wont to doing it

Ryoji smiles at her attempt to become intimidating, but one cannot intimidate death. But she is doing this for Minato. And just for that, he won't harm her or take offense.

"That first night when you appeared, exactly who was in those coffins?"

Ryoji crosses one leg over the other and rests his chin on the back of his hand "Which coffins?"

Yuni's jaw clenches "The ones around you." She doesn't have time for these games.

Ryoji sighs and levels Yuni an even, blank stare "Well I suppose I could tell you," he leans forward, eyes glowing an electric blue sending shivers down her spine "but word must not reach Minato's ears." Because if it does, I'll flay your skin away and feed it to my queen before I craft your bones into her crown.

"I swear this to you, I just need to know." Her visions are bothering her again. She needs to know who is in those coffins.

"Fine I'll tell you, the first coffin holds Minato's mother, the second coffin holds a good friend, the third holds a former teammate, and the fourth holds the father of a friend." and those were the ones who I allowed in those coffins.

"And the other four?"

Ryoji gives a cold smile "Those… those hold souls that caused Minato pain." He didn't have enough coffins for all of them though. "One who caused irreparable damage, one who abandoned Minato, one who twisted the truth, and one who caused it all. But of these, you must not tell Minato of the first four." She still held them too dear even after different timelines and realities. He glances off to the side were the shadows are prominent in the room. I know you're there.

Yuni nods seriously and Ryoji gives her a kind smile before he stands and leaves the room.

Reborn steps out from the shadows with narrowed eyes and Yuni turns to him "Please don't say anything about it, Reborn."

::

Ryoji goes back to Minato's room to find her asleep, he gently brushes her bangs away smiling when she mewls in her sleep. "If I have to, I'll raze this very earth until only those who love you remain." He places a kiss on her cheek and lays down next to her.

She instinctively curls up against him, her head resting perfectly under his chin and she nuzzles into him. "Ryoji." She states happily inhaling his scent.

I'll protect you from everything. I'll find out who is causing this and present their head to you on a platter.

::

Too tight. Everything around him is too small.

**Too tight**.

The chains burn. Burning, burning his flesh. Being crushed and yanked by giant hands from The Beast.

Regaining his body to fight The Beast and then forced to be wrapped in his chains again, too tired and too near death to try and protest or run.

Sealed away again hoping, praying that someone would remember him, would come see him. To know that he mattered.

But no one ever did.

Everything is too tight, so cold and lonely.

He's only just finished healing when the hands of The Beast yank the chains again and releases a mighty roar. He's released from his bindings once more and afterwards everything is too small.

Chains burning into his flesh, too asphyxiating. Being turned to stone without hope of seeing the next time.

Too small.

Too small.

**TOO SMALL!**

::

She lurches forward in her bed and scrambles to the window, she wrenches it open and attempts to climb outside only to be brought back in. "NOO!"

Ryoji winces as she kicks and punches him, her teeth biting into his flesh "MINATO! What's wrong?!"

She continues screaming and flailing and the door to her room slams open "LET ME GO! **LET ME GO!**"

She keeps trying to get outside… Ryoji lifts her up ignoring the safety of a gun going off and jumps out of her window. As soon as he lands safely, he releases her and she collapses.

Her shoulders are shaking and her breathing is irregular, she curls up in a ball and Ryoji sees her tears. "Minato? Minato, what's wrong?" her pain is his. He doesn't want her to feel like she did all those years ago.

But she doesn't answer. The others have come out, their weapons at the ready and Yuni takes a step forward.

"Nee-san?"

Ryoji makes to touch her only to snap his hand back when a bullet nearly cuts through his wrist, he glares at Reborn who gives him a snarl of disgust.

"Back away from the Lackey."

Lal makes her way over to Minato who has gone deathly still but her mouth is moving. Lal leans in and hears her frantic whispers "The Beast is crushing me."

Her eyes narrow, beast? She looks towards Ryoji who is staring at Minato with concern "Mochizuki, who is the beast?"

His eyes widen and she sees him tense before he shakes his head, she reaches for her gun "The Beast-" he clears his throat "the Beast is Erebus. It is… was a grand manifestation of humanity's grief and negative emotions."

Ryoji doesn't even tense when Reborn presses the gun to his temple, "Talk."

Ryoji tenses and glances at Minato who promptly chokes, the others tense when she makes a strangled noise but then he knows what's happening.

Lal rolls Minato over onto her back "Minato?"

Minato's body suddenly shudders and her back arches, her fingers clench around the grass causing her knuckles to turn white. Minato opens her eyes and stares straight into Lal's.

"Minato, you're having a panic attack." She states slowly "You're outside in the garden."

Yuni comes over and tries to touch Minato who shudders again "Don't." Yuni looks up at Lal with hurt eyes "We don't know what kind of reaction she'll have. There's nothing we can do but talk to her."

::

It took nearly forty minutes for Minato to calm down. Forty minutes and she can't talk only shudder and twist and cry.

Yuni helps Minato stand but when she takes a step forward, her legs give out. Fon carries Minato inside while Reborn frog marches Ryoji in with the others following.

Yuni has Fon place Minato on a couch in the foyer near the door. "Nee-san?"

Minato finally turns to look at them and gives them a shaky smile "I'm fine." She shoos them away although Fon gives her a long look, and they know she's lying but she needs time.

Minato sits alone in the foyer as the others go into the kitchen, **e** realizes that **eirs** shaking as **e** stares at **eir** hands. Whether it's due to resentment or inadequacy, **e** isn't sure. "Damn it." **Eir** voice cracks as **e** covers **eir** face with **eir** hands.

::

"Explain everything from the beginning." Reborn demands just itching to pull the trigger.

"I don't know what happened, we went to bed and Minato seemed fine. But then she shot up screaming and tried jumping out of the window." Ryoji frowns and crosses his arms "I didn't know that she dreamed of those times."

Yuni looks down at the countertop "You mean when she sacrificed her life force?"

Ryoji looks at them, they still don't get it. They don't get what she sacrificed-

"I died to become a seal." They turn and see Minato who is still shaking and she looks worse for wear; she has bags under her red-rimmed eyes, her shoulders hunched, and she's holding herself as if she'd be crushed by some sort of weight. "My soul slumbered at the ends of the world and I would only wake up when I needed to defend the world…" her eyes gain a dazed quality and she begins rubbing at her wrists "it always pulled and there was no rest."

The only times she got to rest were when she was helping young Souji-kun or the Phantom but even then, the strain of everything…

She gives a sad, tired smile now lost in a memory she gives a start when Ryoji takes her hand and gently has her sit next to him. She blinks up at him and smiles as he wraps his scarf around her but he doesn't touch her and she takes his hand; noticing for the first time how cold she is and how warm he is.

"What are you talking about?"

Minato looks up and turns to Verde "Back then, there was a grand beast named Erebus. He was the one who would bring about the fall if he met Nyx. To prevent that I became the grand seal thus sealing my soul into the barrier." Minato very slowly rolls up her sleeves to just below her wrists and shows them the visible, almost brand new burn marks in the shape of chains.

Ryoji growls suddenly and Minato blinks at him "They're old." All of her scars are old.

"How did you get to be here then?"

Minato gives Viper a shrug "Honestly, I don't remember much but I do remember seeing dark hair and then silver hair."

Ryoji frowns but gives Minato a smile when she grips his hand. "You don't need to worry anymore, when I was in the void I found that Nyx is asleep and that Erebus is has no possible way of getting close to Nyx."

Minato stares at him with wide eyes and the others are confused. Because they don't understand and she won't let them.

"But there is a threat." Ryoji gives Fon a glance and nods seriously.

"Yes but unfortunately I wasn't able to figure out who or what that is."

Minato rests her head on Ryoji's shoulder and listens to his voice, without pausing he rubs her shoulder and slowly she rests.

::

Ryoji begins noticing that everything seems off in Minato. Not quite there and not quite here. Minato is Minato, Minato will always be Minato, but nonetheless Minato is different.

Minato's mannerisms are different, not to one who barely knows him like the 'Arcobaleno' but to someone who has known Minato, they are staggering. But it's Minato; his Minato, he had said that he would love Minato regardless of gender, regardless of sex.

Something about Minato feels different. As long as it's Minato then it doesn't matter but something feels wrong.

He fiddles with his scarf as he watches Minato sleep peacefully. It doesn't really matter that Minato is different but still he would like to know in all ways possible.

There are plenty of ways where Minato is the same; still a glutton and prone to falling asleep or napping during the day (he doesn't know if Minato is unhealthy or if Minato is depressed, he refuses to think like that but it's Minato and it is his sovereign onus to take care of him), and he still loves video games.

But through all of these things that is different about Minato, there is still something very different and what that is…

::

Minato doesn't mind it, not anymore. He. She. **It.** **Thing**.

The only time it does bug Minato is when Ryoji does it but Minato will always forgive him because, again, Ryoji doesn't know. I feel horrible, hiding so many things from him; just like they did me…

While Skull is a name that e never liked hearing, never liked the sound or taste of it. Skull, the man who Death himself hates and the name stuck; so Minato kept the nickname of Skull for this persona. Be the one his parents wanted him to be, don't be the freak they got instead.

And quietly Skull will admit to losing consciousness from laughing so hard when he hears it the first time. Because Minato knows the truth, Death doesn't hate em. E's probably the only human that Death loves.

Skull isn't exactly the greatest name but it's him. It's him and he likes it. Because Skull meant freedom, Skull could get on his motorcycle and ride away from everything.

E, she, and he don't want to go back to those days, they all love the wind messing with their hair and whipping at their face when they takes their helmet off and rides off on their motorcycle heedless to the world and its unpleasantness. They love the freedom they've acquired, that first taste when they'd been fourteen was enough to get them hooked and they knew, without any regrets, that they'd never look back. Minato refuses to look back especially now that Ryoji is here. Ryoji is the only one who is important. All that matters is Ryoji.

[When the curse had taken hold of them, they'd ridden off needing to feel that taste of freedom because they feel too constricted; too weighed down by what is happening to them. Because being confined isn't ever good. It's like back in those days when they still had a contract. When Erebus would yank and roar and all they could do was take and fight back eventually when it got to be too much. They cry that first week, because the fear that they've lost their freedom is horrid and it feels too real again.]

The burning in their wrists, the burning of their symbols. Everything hurt. Everything felt too small, too big. There wasn't enough space. There is only enough space when they're riding away on their bike.

But now Ryoji is here. Ryoji is here and Ryoji is a symbol of his freedom because there is no contract looming overhead like the Tower of Demise had. This time, they have all the time in the world and coupled with Ryoji being Death and Minato being immortal, they don't have to worry anymore.

Skull isn't a name that e likes hearing but Skull is a persona nonetheless. Skull is a part of em. Just like Orpheus. Just like Ryoji was and is. Just like **she** is. And in order to keep Ryoji safe, Minato will undertake whatever personae e needs in order to protect Ryoji.

::

The guilt bites at her. Clawing deep with the pit of her stomach and scratching her lungs.

Because she knows something is wrong, feels that something is wrong. But what that is she doesn't know although she knows it pertains to Skull-Minato.

She isn't nervous of the beings in Ryoji's coffins or of Death himself, she doesn't need to although she knows that it's idiotic not to.

[Byakuran knows. He always seems to know but he doesn't seem to understand her apprehension or the secret Minato is holding. 'Something is blocking me from finding out. But **Nagisa** is worth the wait.' Although this time around he is the neutral party, he has no hand in any of the events taking place. It's just as thrilling as it is unsettling.]

And while she despises the waiting game, it seems that she'll need to wait for it. The ball is in another court and whether it'll be served or not is the question. But it's Skull, even though no one really treats him with any respect… she can't help but wonder…

::

Minato is hiding with Ryoji. Not exactly hiding but Young Vongola is over with his own dysfunctional and highly dangerous ilk and Minato isn't ready for anyone to know, maybe Enma-kun but not Vongola. Even though Tsuna-san is nice and kind, Minato cannot trust him; not while he is Skull, not while Minato exists.

So Minato hides with Ryoji in eir garage working on eir bike as Ryoji watches Oodako and helps Minato. It feels nice, almost as if nothing else in the world exists; just the two of them, forever.

Normally they'd be in the garden but sometimes, mostly always, Vongola gets out of hand and they wind up fighting in the garden anyway though not enough to destroy it but enough to warrant attention. Minato doesn't need that. Minato doesn't want Ryoji to get hurt anymore, they would all see just why Minato is feared; just why Minato is the Wild Card, why they are the Universe.

::

Ryoji hums quietly as he watches Minato work on her bike. But he notices. Minato tenses when being called she and further still when called he. It's discombobulating because Minato is not supposed to suffer or act like this anymore. There is something wrong, and Ryoji will fix it. He'll eviscerate anything and everything for Minato.

"Minato…?" Minato turns to him, that beautiful, gentle smile taking hold of Minato's face. Ryoji smiles back but then frowns wetting his lips. "What do you want to be called?" when all he receives is a confused glance Ryoji flushes and flails. "I mean, what do you… you tense up every time someone says he or she." And there's a hint of shock, eagerness, and then fear.

Fear that Minato should never have of him. Minato hunches into hi-her-Minato's self and Ryoji nears, a silent support. "You don't need to fear me Minato, I will never leave you." He'll lay waste to an entire planet if anyone tried to take them apart.

Minato looks at him with wide eyes reminding him of that night they met, when Minato was just a small waif of a child and Ryoji was the incomplete Death, and looks away and slowly nods. "I'm not a boy," Minato exhales shakily "and I'm not a girl."

Ryoji frowns but waits patiently for Minato to continue, but Minato doesn't "Then what are you?" Ryoji bites back a curse when Minato flinches and hunches further "I'm sorry I should have phrased that better."

Minato looks up at him and stares, searching for something and Ryoji holds Minato's gaze until the other looks away. "I'm not." Ryoji inclines his head in confusion, because he knows that Minato appears androgynous but this is new.

"And that means?"

Again Ryoji is subjected to staring, searching and Minato looks down again "I'm neither male nor female." Minato begins to fidget and rubs at their wrist harshly and yanks at the abused flesh, Ryoji steps forward again as Minato begins to hyperventilate "Even though this time I am biologically- I'm not…" Minato starts to tremble and the first tear falls "I'm **not**."

Ryoji hugs Minato tightly and places loving kisses on their temple rocking them back and forth as Minato begins to sob and repeat his-her-Minato's mantra of 'I'm not. I'm not.' And Ryoji burns with anger.

::

Minato falls into a restless sleep and Ryoji slowly carries Minato back towards the mansion and jumps to the level their room is. The window opens and he lowers himself to the ground before gently, lovingly placing Minato on their bed. He goes into the washroom and grabs a hand towel. With lukewarm water he goes back and gently dabs Minato's face.

The other doesn't even stir, and Ryoji grinds his teeth together because Minato is exhausted and because Minato is exhausted Ryoji can see.

He can see the faint scars all over Minato's face, even the ones hidden by his bangs and then he gently lowers the collar of Minato's turtleneck and a loud, harsh growl escapes him at the long precise cut. Hinting at what Minato had to live through. Never again, my dearest.

::

"Young master, young Minato."

A familiar song fills his ears and Minato's eyes snap open, e sits up heart hammering in eir chest "You-" Minato stares at the masked teen with wide eyes. The black corridor they are in is barely laminated yet e can see the other perfectly. It's been so long. That beautiful song… this person-

The teen wore a black trench coat with a gray collared shirt, black trousers and boots. He gave em a gentle smile and extends his red gloved hand, his white bird-shaped mask with a black design around the eyes gave his red and yellow heterochromatic eyes a pointed glow about them.

Minato takes his hand and e's lifted up and slowly the guise falls away from the teen short, with an outfit that consisted of a buttoned up black blazer with red buttons and his school's emblem, a white turtleneck shirt with two black chevrons on the collar, and black and red plaid trousers. He also wears black glasses, "P-Phantom." The boy who never really had a name, smiles shyly as he blushes and puts on his black glasses.

"Sempai." 'Phantom' blushes brighter as Minato comes closer and gently ruffles his short, messy black hair even though 'Phantom' is the taller of the two, his charcoal gray eyes glint with something that Minato can't remember. "Come on, sempai. We've got much to talk about." 'Phantom' has em take his arm and they walk through the darkness.

Questions burn on the tip of eir tongue as e casts 'Phantom' glances out of the corner of eir eye. But then Minato sees that blue butterfly and eir heart flutters in eir ribcage because the blue butterfly had given em everything. Had given em Ryoji.

The blue butterfly flits about almost as if it were guiding them along when they reach that blue door. 'Phantom' opens the door and Minato steps inside; the familiar song settles eir nerves. But when he steps forward it is not Igor that he sees and the Velvet Room is different, darker.

It's much like he remembered it to be only the clock does not spin its hands twitch as if to move but it always reverts back to its stagnant position. Minato stares at the hands that rest on 12:40 and feels chills go up eir spine. A quiet sigh brings eir attention back towards the front of the room where Igor could usually be found.

Another teen sits languidly on the chair that Igor usually sits in; oddly styled brown hair stands out even in the darkness of the room, heterochromatic eyes stare back at them. One brown and the other golden yellow, he lifts up his left arm a black wristwatch catches eir attention standing out against the red motorcycle outfit with a hood and black rotated cross. He gives them an odd smile stuck between kind and cold. "Hello, third and fifth," he says to Minato giving him a nod before looking over at Phantom, the smile gaining a bit more kindness to it "and fifth and seventh."

Phantom huffs quietly "Picked up Nameless' habit for numbers, again, Tatsuya?"

Tatsuya waves a dismissive hand in the air "Habits aside, it's true. You don't have a name," he states plainly before nodding towards Minato "and you have too many."

Phantom scoffs, red and gold overtaking charcoal gray "We all have too many names."

Tatsuya stretches and Minato catches the faint gray mark on his right hand and silently wonders where the older boy got it from. "But back to you," he says facing Minato "do you know why you're here?"

Oddly, Minato fidgets causing Phantom to narrow his eyes "Because of the contract."

Tatsuya and Phantom share a look and Phantom shakes his head "No, Minato-sempai the contract hasn't been active in years." How many years he isn't certain, since time functioned differently in the Velvet Room; a 'day' here could be either seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months or even years to the normal world. In essence here, time means nothing. For years to pass in the Velvet Room—Minato didn't even want to think of it.

"Then why am I here?"

Tatsuya gives him a simple shrug "Don't really know, N-" he's cut off when Phantom suddenly glares at him and Tatsuya makes a small noncommittal sound in the back of his throat "the others appeared at the same time I did, well everyone except you."

Minato narrows eir eyes "what about my sister?"

Tatsuya frowns and shakes his head "Sister?" he looks at Phantom who shrugs and mumbles 'I didn't know sempai had a sister.'

"Nagisa. Nagisa Arisato, my twin."

Tatsuya shakes his head again, shore and harbor. "I'll look into it but-" he pauses looking towards the arched windows and he sighs turning back to them "we don't have much time to talk." He stares at Minato intently "As someone once said, the world runs on give and take. Your ability comes at a price."

Minato frowns and opens eir mouth to protest "But what can I give?" not their memories. Minato would never give up their memories.

Tatsuya goes into his pocket and brings out a silver lighter, opening and watching the small flicker of flames before snapping it closed only to repeat his actions again. "Equivalent exchange, an eye for an eye. You must trade something that is important to you in order to gain something else."

Minato narrows eir eyes "But will I get it back?" it sounded just like a contract.

"It could be something of yours that's important enough, a part of you." He didn't answer.

Minato looks away and tenses when Phantom places a hand on eirs but Phantom isn't looking at Minato, he's looking at Tatsuya. "Minato-sempai…"

A rumbling groan shakes the room and they tense, Minato's fingers twitch for eir sword just as Tatsuya cracks his knuckles and Phantom brings a knife out from his sleeve. "Sorry, gonna have to cut this short-"

"What's happening and why."

Phantom gives Minato a small smile "Sorry sempai, but we can't talk. We're still learning ourselves," Tatsuya gives him a nod and Phantom places a hand on Minato's shoulder "don't worry sempai, we'll see each other here again."

Minato looks between the two and gasps when the room shatters like glass, e falls into the abyss.

* * *

I honestly didn't know how to end the chapter but then I would have given away everything. (Did I really add those two? Yes. Yes, I did.)

My not giving Phantom a name is due to the fact that well no name has been released for him yet and in my head I just call him the cute fluffy yet delinquent cinnamon roll.


	4. Chapter 4

suntan140: yes Reborn is insane if he thinks that but knowing him, he probably doesn't care.

*Take a deep breath*

* * *

The _thing_ comes downstairs with a pissed off expression on his face, his scarf seemingly snaps and coils menacingly behind him. But Reborn doesn't fear him, Reborn doesn't care for him. _He only wants to put a bullet in his head, right between the eyes._

The _thing_doesn't even pay attention to the curious looks from the other Arcobaleno and goes straight up to Byakuran who is staring at him with that eternally amused expression on his face. _"What do you know?"_ is hissed out and Reborn's eyes narrow as he adjusts his fedora.

The _thing_ leans in an ugly sneer on his face, "Who hurt _my_Minato?"

"Ryoji-san?" Yuni slowly rises from her chair next to Reborn and stares at the _thing_ who twitches and looks back at her, leveling her with _its_ glowing blue eyes.

"Who _slit_Minato's throat?" the others tense and Yuni opens her mouth to ask when they hear a loud thump, they turn and see Skull standing shakily in the middle of the stairs; too pale and sweating.

Ryoji has let Byakuran go and stands at the foot of the stairs, staring at Skull who is panting roughly. "Minato?"

Skull shakes _eir_ head "You weren't supposed to find out, you weren't supposed to know." _E_ says quietly looking as if _e_ will collapse and _e_stumbles down the stairs.

Ryoji is there to catch _em_ and hushes _em_ when Minato makes to move away "Remember Minato, I will never leave you." Ryoji adjusts them properly but does not release his hold on Minato "Why are you out of bed? You're exhausted, you could wind up sick."

Ryoji directs Minato to sit on a loveseat and sits close to _em_ practically attempting to mold himself to Minato. "Skull-nee, what do you mean by Ryoji-kun wasn't supposed to find out?"

But Minato, obviously shaken, does not pay her any mind "I saw Phantom," Ryoji's eyes narrow and he stares at Minato taking the others hand in his "and another boy named Tatsuya. I was in the Room again." Minato shakes _eir_ head and tries burrowing into Ryoji who runs a hand through Minato's hair which has begun to grow out again.

"_Lackey_."

To everyone's surprise Minato doesn't flinch, instead Minato ignores Reborn. Ryoji gives the fuming man an irritating smirk "He said equivalent exchange, I must trade something in order to receive another." Minato holds _eir_ palm up, purple flames flickering to life and _contemplates_.

Ryoji places a kiss on Minato's temple holding his beloved closer, "Minato, who did this?" he asks in a soft voice slowly, lovingly wrapping his scarf around Minato's neck. He watches in slow burning anger as his beloved brings a hand up to their neck and unconsciously follows the trail of the scar.

"I think," Minato pauses tracing the scar again as _e_ stares down at _eir_ flame "I got this from…" after a brief moment Minato gives Ryoji a confused, apologetic smile "There've been so many, I can't remember who was the first and who was the last." _It wasn't a lie but perhaps it was the Estraneo family or perhaps it wasn't but it probably was._

::

Minato falls asleep against Ryoji again exhaustion lining _their_ frame and Ryoji can't help but remember the times where Minato would collapse against him because being the Seal made their sluggishness worse.

Ryoji ignores everyone as he begins running his fingers through Minato's hair, crooning in his old language and placing small, loving kisses on Minato's head. He contemplates telling the others of Minato's wish but decides against it even though it bites at him to.

They hurt Minato and they are continuing to hurt his dearest. _But Minato doesn't trust them, he trusts me. He trusts me and that's all that matters._

So he keeps quiet instead focusing on Minato.

::

Minato returns to the elevator room, the clock is still stuck. Ignoring it, _e_focuses on the other two who look a bit worse for wear. "What is going on? Why did a shadow show up? Why is Ryoji there?"

Phantom has him sit down on the arm chair in front of him and perches on the arm next to him. His eyes staying their unusual carmine and gold instead of the charcoal gray. "Something's happening in your world. That shadow wasn't supposed to show up, let alone Mochizuki."

Tatsuya turns to him playing with his lighter "We're working on the details, but things are already going to hell in a hand basket." At Minato's narrowed eyes he gestures to the clock above them "For some reason it's not moving and Philemon is _pacing_."

A gasp draws their attention to the indigo haired boy, Phantom frowns as he looks at Minato not understanding what it means. "Philemon is the blue butterfly, Phantom."

"Philemon doesn't _pace_." Philemon is calm and collected, even in the face of danger. Minato looks up at the clock; because if even Philemon is worried then what could this mean?

"I'm sorry to rush you but have you made a decision yet?" Minato looks back at Tatsuya and nods extending a hand and producing _Skull's_cloud flames. Tatsuya's lips purse eying the flickering violet flames with a stern eye "These are a part of you, you need these for the life you currently live…" he descends into mumbling and crosses his arms.

Phantom gently takes Minato's wrist examining the flame with interest "If these are tied to you, won't you die without them?"

Minato looks down at _eir_ palm as Tatsuya sighs stepping away from the window and walks towards them. "Equivalent exchange, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. I have taken and so I shall give," Tatsuya's hand begins to glow blue and Minato spies faint shimmers of blue stained glass; Tatsuya's hand snuffs out the flame and Minato gasps _eir_ other hand grabbing _eir_wrist "you who has given shall now take what is now yours." At some point Tatsuya let go of Minato's hand as the shorter teen struggles not to fall to their knees Tatsuya rears his hand back, Phantom quickly holds Minato in place and Tatsuya's hand sinks into Minato's chest and grabs their heart, Minato throws _eir_ head back and screams.

Tatsuya winces as the room begins to tremble and the six doors groan in protest. "I return this power of persona for as long as it is needed and take the given power of this Universe's flame."

A seal is branded onto _his, her, their_ body and as everything around _them_ slowly melts away Minato swears that _they_ see a familiar head of silver hair.

::

When Minato wakes up, _e_ is quiet even though a silver gun is in _eir_hand while the other lovingly traces the S.E.E.S. "Skull-nee, are you alright?"

Minato turns to Yuni blinking slowly and nods somberly before looking down at the gun with a small, gentle smile. Eyes softening as _e_ cradles the evoker to _eir_chest.

"Lackey." Minato does not cringe, does not flinch but _e_does tense when Reborn calls _em_ that; _it's a demand instead of a question because Reborn doesn't ever ask_the stupid, young Lackey_for anything. He'll beat the shit out of em and do so again for fun before demanding again._

"Sempai." Minato stares back at him, the gun gleaming in the lighting cradled to _her_ chest much like one would a child.

"Explain." He demands before Minato looks down at the gun again. _Damn Lackey is supposed to answer him when he-_ Reborn destroys that train of thought because the Lackey is a _girl, a woman_. Women are to be protected at all costs, Lal is the only exception as she has paved her way through blood, sweat, tears, and broken bone for too long to be simply labelled as a woman.

"Minato doesn't answer to the likes of _you_." Reborn has his Leon gun cocked right between Ryoji's eyes before he can even finish the sentence.

"I don't think anybody asked for _your_ opinion." _He's going to kill him, flay him alive and destroy his body and dance on the ashes before whisking the Lackey away._

Ryoji stands ignoring Minato's frown "It's not an opinion, it is a **fact**." He pauses when Minato grasps his wrist and slightly tugs.

"It's my Evoker," _she_ says quietly "and I used it to call forth my persona." _Even though now it is no longer needed, e-they will carry it for its sentimental value. It means too much to them to simply throw away._

"And how would you do that? You can't shoot to save your life, kora."

Minato gently squeezes Ryoji's wrist when he makes to stand because it's the truth. In all of _eir_ lives, Minato has never been able to fire a gun. "Oh, you don't shoot at the _enemy_," _she_ says candidly "you shoot _yourself_." She places the evoker to her temple ignoring how everyone stiffens with the exception of Ryoji and imitates pulling the trigger. "Personae were summoned as one would react to external stimuli, in my case it was literal and metaphorical." Minato removes the 'gun' from _her_ temple and cradles it in _her_ lap and thinks.

::

Minato thinks of Skull; of when _e_ is Skull. The whiny, loud mouthed purple-haired stuntman. _The Fool playing the Magician._ And realizes that it is because he is whiny and loud-mouthed and everything that _Minato_ is not and has never gotten the chance to be. _Too busy fighting, too busy socializing with people e already knew inside and out after so many lives, stuck in the repeating monotony of everything, and finally stuck with nothing but a vicious man made beast and a deity who was slumbering awaiting for her cue to bring about the end of humanity._

As Skull, _they_could be loud and brash and scream and be as childish as ever. _As they've never gotten the chance to._There are downsides to Skull, just as there are with every persona that _they_have ever used. Skull, who no one not even toddlers respect. Skull, who no one cares about; not his family, not his famiglia, and certainly not the other Arcobaleno. _The only exceptions being Enma-kun and Luce, but thinking of her still felt like a fresh wound even after so many years._

Luce was her own person; filled with her own vivacity of life and her own form of tenderness. She was fond of _them_ and _they_ of her; sharing many happy moments together. She encouraged them even when she did not know it, not that _they_ever let her know. _They regret that now_.

Still Luce is the one who knew _some_ things but not _all_ things, because _Skull_ sometimes slipped back into _Minato_ in the early days but Luce never said anything. Perhaps she didn't notice or perhaps she didn't know how to bring it up but she _tried._

And even though Luce could never be like the others, like S.E.E.S., she had reminded _them_ of _their_ dear mother. Even though her eyes were too wistful, dove grey instead of cheery, artic blue and her hair was Aegean blue instead of light blonde. _However Luce could never be their mother; she was too fluctuating of a person, and even she did not protect them from too much. But Luce was still dear because Luce was human and even though they sanctified her, they all knew of this fact._

_They_ remember Luce fondly alongside their mother before they bury those thoughts deep inside where no one can look or take them.

But back to _Skull. Even though it hurts to remember, even though they don't like remembering._

Due to circumstances growing up, Skull is very selfish. _They are all selfish. Too selfish and sometimes not selfish enough._ Skull still has the mentality of a two year old when it comes to his things because he's the type of asshole who only cares about what he perceives as his. _Because life had always caught him in its grasp and shook them down for nearly everything._

Like life had taken Luce and then Old Man Carcassa, _the only one who had been nice to them regardless of anything, who'd taken them in and given them a home and a family instead of a famiglia._ But everyone had someone to hold back the loneliness. _Be it romantic, platonic, or kinship._

Luce had them but she was the Don of her own famiglia as with Old Man Carcassa, Yuni has her protection (ranging from _Takaya_ to young Vongola and other people that _they_ don't even know because they are unimportant; they are cruel.)

So it leaves _Skull_alone; so very alone because this time _they, as Skull,_don't have anyone to talk to. Their life, _Skull's_ life, begins to go downwards as the few people _they, he_have managed to gain wither away either leaving or dying. The only ones to eventually remain were Oodako and his fellow Arcobaleno, but the only ones _they, Skull_had ever really counted were simply Oodako and his bike.

As Skull, _they_have only ever done drugs once out of boredom, out of the need to do something and perhaps out of desperation to chase away the loneliness because it or perhaps something _deeper_ that no one wishes to dwell on. _They still remember it; the faces of their victims grew and distorted, darkening until they finally turned into shadows and they screeched out their complaints - [why did you kill me?!] {Come back and play with me, boy!} (You'll never be anything! My famiglia will get you! ) - and they begin to eat him._The pain felt all too real, _they_had bled and cried and screamed. The bad trip, what others called it, lasted for three days and Skull had never tried again.

_They_through Skull, and Skull himself, became entwined; Skull was a hindrance yet a safety. _She_could forget about the world, and the pain, and its sexism and _he_could run away from it all, and _they_ could be as free as _they_ wanted to. Skull was Minato, a mask crafted by young hands at the realization that this world was different, this world was lonely. This world was harmful in so many ways.

Skull wants to be noticed, wants to have a family, wants to be loved. Skull wants everything that Minato does and can't ever seem to have for too long. _And it gets annoying, it's been annoying. Trying to grasp at straws that fade into mist and Skull_**_hurts_**_and even with Minato's well-worn apathetic mask—apathetic salvation this does not extend to Skull. And perhaps that is why they need Skull; to hurt, to live, to be free._

Skull will always be important, if not in the eyes of others, then just to _them_ because instead of _he_ and _she_ and _it_ and _(?)_ and _e_there is Skull. And Skull began _their_ journey, and Minato imagines them all standing in front of each other, facing Skull who looks lost and confused.

Skull is not just a mask, not just a persona. Skull is Minato and Minato is Skull; the fool returning to the universe but Skull is and always will be important; _they will always be Skull._"It's alright now, thank you." Minato opens _their_ arms and accepts Skull into _their_ embrace, into the sea of _their_ soul._The Fool has returned to the Universe._

::

When Minato opens _eir_eyes again; _e_ sees the others staring at _em_ in shock "Minato?" _e_ turns to see Ryoji staring at him with wide eyes and Minato smiles so beatifically that he feels he's fallen in love all over again. _Just like the first, where he saw a blue-haired boy sitting by himself, all alone after school staring at a painting but then he turned around, saw him, and_smiled_._

"It's alright now, Ryoji. I was in the room again something's going on." Minato turns to the others giving them an apologetic glance, smile melting into a grimace but doesn't clarify.

"Damn it, Skull, just tell us what's going on, kora!"

Minato looks back at Colonello, face blank and it unnerves them because _Skull_ is an open book no matter what the situation. _Skull_is easy to read, _Skull_is a kid playing an adult's game and can't fight back against them no matter how hard he tries. "The room that I visited is called the Velvet Room, it's a place that exists between dream and reality, mind and matter." Minato's stoicism melts away to an odd, melancholic smile "You need to sign a contract to see it."

Ryoji smiles fondly "Is it still an elevator?"

Minato huffs eying the few strands of _eir_ hair that flutters slightly "The clock stopped ticking, it's stuck at the time that I died." That alone sets the others on edge but Minato doesn't pay them any attention "Philemon is pacing."

"Who is Philemon, Skull?" Minato jumps slightly and turns to Fon who gives _em_ a kind smile which Minato returns with a half-hearted twitch of the lips.

"Philemon is a dweller between consciousness and unconsciousness; some would say that he's a god, I'm not sure. He was the one who gave me Orpheus in the first place."

Yuni stands unexpectedly, looking jittery and a strained smile appears on her face "L-Let's all go out, we could have a picnic a-and Skull-_nee_ can get some sunlight and rest. I-it's not good to stay in the same place for too long." _To get away from this house, it's maddening. I don't like it._

Ryoji narrows his eyes at her, _what are you seeing?_

::

Yuni drags Minato with her back to her and Ryoji's room and carefully picks out her outfit, needing something to do. _Something to distract her from what she's seeing, because she can't tell if it will happen or if it won't; if it's a dream or if it's the future._

Minato stares at her with curious eyes but makes no room to stop her even though the thought of being dressed as a woman when _they_were not makes them rage inwardly and cringe as helplessness begins to fester.

Yuni picks out the outfit as she proceeds to bully Minato into the shower; choosing a tight black A-line miniskirt, a cream long sleeved turtleneck, a dark green sweater to go over it, with a red scarf and black stockings, and tan boots before placing them in the bathroom for Minato to change into. Minato stares at the clothes in morose silence before _e_dresses Yuni turning in order to give _em_ some modesty and Minato wants to snap at her. _I'm not a woman! I'm not- I'm just not!_ But _e_doesn't remaining quiet even as the feeling of degradation flows through _eir_ veins.

When Minato finishes dressing, Yuni turns and has her sit on her bed and begins trying to fix her hair but it's too short to do anything with and Minato won't let her touch _her_ bangs. So instead Yuni brushes her hair humming quietly under her breath "You look so pretty, Skull-nee."

_But she sees it. Sees Minato get flung into a wall by her hair only to get picked up again and slammed into the floor. Sees Ryoji with an odd, old looking spear stuck through his stomach fighting to get up calling Minato's name but the spear keeps him pinned. Sees Lal and Colonello fighting against masked creatures trying to get to the others. Sees Reborn trying to get to Minato but keeps getting flung back an unusual looking gun in his hand._

_Sees Fon panting and struggling to keep everyone healed while battling off the same masked creatures trying to push his way through to get into healing distance so that Minato can get back up and dodge and run back to them. Sees Viper angry and striking at the shadowed mass again and again with Verde grimacing at his side._

_She cannot see the end, she can only hear the cries and see the blood splattering on the floor._

She is afraid, not because she cannot see herself but because she cannot see the end no matter how hard she tries. _Because the visions are__supposed__to be fading but they aren't, they keep shifting growing darker and darker each time._It keeps her up at night, pacing and trying to understand what is happening; why it's happening and how so that she can prevent it. But nothing comes up.

Minato looks away from the mirror and clenches _eir_hands into fists.

::

Gamma has the park cleared and sweeped thoroughly with guards stationed in nearly every corner when they arrive.

Ryoji immediately takes Minato's hand and tugs them over to a tree laying out the picnic blanket and settling his head in Minato's lap. He gives Reborn a smug smirk when he catches him staring, Minato does not pay attention and he turns back to them. "Minato, what's wrong?" he knows part of the reason but he would rather Minato voice it instead of keeping it inside and possibly burying it deeper and scarring themselves in the process.

"They—I'm not a girl right, Ryoji?"

Ryoji gives them a gentle smile and takes their hand and places a loving kiss on it, "You are Minato, regardless of gender and sex. You can be whatever you want to be." Minato searches his gaze again and gives him a helpless, trembling smile. _Because the answer is not enough, it is not what e wants to hear; Ryoji does not understand the extent of eir question but they will make it enough of an answer._

So Minato runs _eir_fingers through Ryoji's hair toying with the hair antenna on his head hearing the quiet 'boing' going off in _eir_mind when it springs back up when _e_pushes it down. Ryoji watches them with a smile enjoying the rare, refreshing sight of Minato being childish.

::

He watches the Lackey sit with that _thing's_head in her lap and fights back a grimace, controlling the urge to blow that _thing's_head off when _it_throws him a smirk. _When the Lackey is away on business, he'll have to educate it with his Spartan training, revamped and renewed just for it._

He focuses on what the Lackey's said so far. _The ersatz of suicide, in essence the external stimuli, to summon persona._ The Lackey talked about visiting a place called the Velvet Room, but he knows for a fact that she hasn't left Giglio Nero in three months after returning from her mission. The _thing_would have been beside _itself_if she had been gone even for more than two hours.

He glares at _it_ one more time and makes his way over, intent on getting his answers. The Lackey doesn't tense and the _thing_is too content that the Lackey is showering _it_ with affection to care about him. _Pathetic._

"Lackey." The Lackey looks up at him and Reborn leans against the tree that _she_ and _it_ are using as shade. "I want answers."

"To what, sempai?"

"What is going on." the Lackey finally looks up at him and shrugs.

"I don't know myself but something big is happening. The other Wild Cards are present and Igor isn't in the Velvet Room, they don't know what's happening either." the Lackey gives him a small smile "Maybe it's the apocalypse."

::

A young man with short bowl-cut gray hair and matching gray eyes pants as another shadow dies, he keeps his sword at his side and runs a hand through his hair. He had no idea what must be going on. "I'm still in Magatsu Inaba." He exhales slowly wondering if the others weren't too concerned with his disappearance. A white flash catches his attention and he straightens hand steady and tight around the hilt of his sword, a blue door appears and opens as a teen step out with pale skin, messy brown hair and matching brown eyes.

"Hey are you...hold on..." The boy pats his uniform pockets and brings out an index card "Narukami Yu or um... oh! Seta Souji?"

"Yes." he says moving into a position as the boy sags in relief.

"Good, you need to come with me back to the Velvet Room." the boy jabs a thumb towards the still open door and only now can Souji hear the familiar aria in the background. "Something really weird is going on and Philly needs us all around."

"Ph-Philly?"

"Oh, I'm Kanzato Shin-" Shin stops suddenly and turns towards the distorted sky above and grimaces "Look, Seta we need to hurry and get back to the Velvet Room, I don't know how Suou and Phantom are doing."

Before he can stop himself he steps forward "Is there a boy named Arisato Minato amongst them?" he cringes internally and bites his tongue, today is not the day to stir up old wounds.

Shin frowns and shakes his head making a harried motion "I'll try to explain everything on the way, come on we don't have much time. Philly is worried and we need all the help we can get!"

Souji stares at Shin who stretches out his hand and he looks towards the door.

The two disappear in a flash of blue.


End file.
